Shift
by YamiEditor
Summary: Lance leaves Bayville after realizing he no longer fits in (unintentionally leaving Kitty to worry about him). He also (accidentally) befriends a girl named Marlee (oc) who changes who he is without him realizing it. - - - Later, features his somewhat forced returned to Bayville, along with some Lancitty (LancexKitty). Rated T for swearing and mild violence.
1. Of Regrets, a Small Town, and a New Frie

**Of Regrets, a Small Town, and a New Friendship**

**Kitty's POV**

"Later, losers.

Avalanche"

The note is written on Blob's crinkled report card, smells vaguely of Toad and pizza, and was actually meant for The Brotherhood.

The note had left The Brotherhood somewhat puzzled when the first received it, but it become clear after Lance didn't show up for weeks, then an entire year. Today's the anniversary of the day Lance left. I can't count the times I've stared at this, trying to find the reason. There isn't much to read between the lines when there were only two lines and one was a signature, though.

"Kitty, are ya starin at that thin', again?" says Rogue's distinctly accented voice.

"No," I jump to a sitting position from my bed, hiding it behind my back, "I mean; what?"

"Ah can't believe they haven't kicked Fred outta high school with those grades," Rogue says, walking by me to pull something out of her drawer.

"Huh?" my head has to crank some gears, "Ur, yeah." I laugh nervously.

Rogue turns to me with hands on her hips, which means she's getting down to business. So not good. "It ain't your fault Lance ditched," she says, "'Sides, that boy ain't nothing but trouble."

"I know," I say, because I do know. More than she does, anyway. Lance called me that day, and I didn't answer. I was still too mad. I hadn't answered his calls for a long time; since we fought The Brotherhood in the school parking lot. I wish I had answered. I wish he had told me what happened. I tried to call him after that, but his phone had been disconnected.

"Then toss that," she says, pointing to the note, "It smells like Toad."

I nod, squeezing it into a ball and throwing it into the wastebasket.

"Let's go get breakfast," Rogue says, gesturing for me to follow.

I fix my covers and catch up with her.

After breakfast, I go digging in the wastebasket.

* * *

**One Year Ago**

**Lance's POV**

Benson smelled like cow manurer and I had to swat flies while I walked. I had no idea how I ended up here of all places, but I regretted it. It must have been at least 95 degrees; I briefly considered drowning the flies in my sweat.

I had saved up over the summer to run away from Bayville and my life there. Now, I was approaching a brand new, sparkling life at Benson High School in NowhereVille (I had been enrolled by a crazy old lady). Wasn't my life just peachy keen?

Either way, I was a Junior walking around with a schedule and trying to find rooms based on their numbers. I guess I looked pretty lost, because before I knew it I had a girl over my shoulder trying to be helpful. She had just came from the girl's restroom when she caught sight of me.

"Hey, Freshmen," she said, her voice carrying a musical element that made me want to strangle the happy right out of her, "Need help?"

"Not a Freshmen," I said, without pausing my walk, "Transfer student.

"Ooh," she said, joining my stride, "Where are you from?"

"None of your business," I said, attempting to wave her off with my hand.

"Oh, yeah? Cool."

I was suddenly struck with the sensation of talking to someone's voice mail. You know those people who are like "hi, this is so-and-so" in such a normal tone its almost as if they _want_ you to trick you?

"I mean," she added, "We need someone with a mysterious past. Most people around here are from here, so you already know everything about them."

I was somewhat torn between being relieved she wasn't a robot and being annoyed she wasn't pissing off, so I just kept walking quickly and looking for room 126.

"By the way, I'm Marlee Skies," she said, "What's your name?"

I paused, frowning at my schedule. _How did I end up back by room 107?_ I gave up, "Where the hell is 126?"

Marlee's lips kind of wriggled into a smile, "That's pretty long. Can I call you 126?"

"It's Lance Alvers," I said.

"Okay, Lance," she said, "Fortunately for you, I have the same class. Follow me." As she started down the hall, I realized she must have had some kind of thing for blue clothes and ribbons. She looked like a speeding sailboat.

I was about to share a class with an overly friendly blue sailboat.

Did I mention my life was peachy keen?

* * *

Actually, I spent more than just a class with Marlee. Marlee insisted on talking to me until the teachers head popped and he gave her and I gave an assignment on the first day (even though Marlee was the one talking). We met up in the park, after school, to work on it.

"Find leafs and name them with this spiffy leaf-book," Marlee said, waving said book high enough that it seemed she was trying to wave it in God's nose, "Easy."

"Whatever, _Marlinda_," I said. During 1st period roll call I learned two things. First, Marlee's name was Marlinda. Second, she hated the name Marlinda.

She shot me a glare, leaf-book still in the air, "It's Marlee."

"Right," I roll my eyes, "Let's just find some leafs."

Marlee cheered up unsurprisingly fast. We spent about a half hour collecting leafs, before a screeching interrupted us.

"Get back here, you bitch." It's a deep, gravely man's voice.

"No, let go of me!"

I spun around to see gruff looking man, clutching a women by her wrist. The man wore a wife-beater and torn jeans. His chin was covered in stubble and a cigarette hangs from his mouth. The women reminded me of Kitty. She has a light pink tank-top and super short shorts with sandals. She was terrified, eyes wide and knees shaking. She looked ready to cry.

_He's holding her wrist,_ I realized, _just like I had once grabbed Kitty's wrist._

_ Like, let go of me!_ Kitty's voice rattles in my brain. My stomach constricts itself. This man was a creep; his eyes were crazed.

"Let her go," I heard myself say, voice cracking not from fear but the uncomfortable feeling in my gut. Stepping up for this girl, I was suddenly Summers.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, "Let me handle him."

I had forgotten about Marlee and only then did it occur to me that we were the only ones in the park. _Wait, let her handle it?_ I thought _Is she crazy?_

_ "_What are you going to do about it, punk?" the man said, turning to me, "This bitch broke up with me. No one breaks up with me."

I tried to shake myself from my dream-like state. "I wanna bet?" I asked, fists balled, ready to shake the earth if I had to.

He reached down in his boot and I glimpsed something shiny. _No f***ing way._

Marlee, to my bafflement, stepped in front of me. She raised her hand in "stop" motion towards the man.

"Move stu-!" I stopped myself as the knife went flying from the man's hand, lodging itself into a tree. I was fairly sure my jaw dislocated.

"I suggest," Marlee said, too sugary sweet like the voice I imagined Barbie might have, "You leave." She held her arms in front of her, bent slightly with fingers fanned out.

He was frozen, but his mouth moved, "M-Mutant. . . _ Mutant freak!_" Then, he darted.

"Th-thanks," the girl squeaked, but then ran, as well. People are so grateful.

I stare at Marlee, "You're. . ." a search my mind for a way to fling knifes into trees, "A telepath?"

She smiled dryly, "I can control wind movement."

"Huh."

"I'll leave," she said, walking away in a way that seemed bizarre and uncharacteristic for her.

"Hold up," I said.

She stopped and turned to look at me like a dear in headlights. Weird.

I sighed. I didn't like Marlee, but I thought that freaks should stick together or at least have an understanding.

I focused on pulling and pushing the earth, creating a small tremor as a result.

Marlee, after teetering and gaining her balance respectively, cocked her head, "Did you?"

"Yep," I said, my arms folded in front of my chest.

Her face lit up, "We should totally be super heroes!"

"_**What?**_"

* * *

**Author Note: Wow. Marlee is a mutant! _No one_ saw that coming. Major plot twist. Haha. Anyway, review or comment if you have time. It would make my day. :) I'd like to hear any ideas.**


	2. Of Superheroes and Departures

**AN: Lots of back story. Sorry if this part is boring. -.-' I really appreciate the reviews so far. I love getting them. I hope this story meets your hopes and dreams (meh. shut up. I've done so much writing that I'm out of words. So there. ;P)  
**

**PS**

**Sorry I'm so slow at updating. -.-'**

* * *

**Of Superheroes and Departures**

"We should totally be superheroes!"

While it's obvious that Marlee is way different from, I still think I should say that this was the farthest thing from my mind when I discovered some like me. In fact, unless you counted joining the X-Men to gain Kitty's favor, the hero gig had really never occurred to me at all.

"What?" I choked, "As in spandex and a cape?"

Marlee nodded, "I think we can skip the spandex, but you have the idea."

"Why?" I asked, "Benson has around a 5,000 population. What's going to happen?"

"Crazy men will pull knifes?"

"So, about every five years we stop a crime that the police could just as easily take care of?"

"Why not?"

"First, there's no point. Second, I'm from a team of villains." Referring to Blob, Toad, and Pietro as '_villains_' didn't seem entirely accurate, but I was making a point.

"Cool," Marlee said, "We're back to the mysterious past deal." I really shouldn't have been surprised at that point. She found herself a comfortable sitting position in the grass and looked up at me, "Story time, 'kay?"

"What? No. I was just in a bad guy team, got it?"

"Tell me when you met them, what you did, and why you quit."

"That ain't the point."

"Yes it is. Shoot."

"I'm not - "

"_Lance_. _Story_."

"Arg," I gave up, letting my legs collapse into a sitting position.

I had meant to skip over as many details as possible, but she asked so many questions that she managed to drag out the whole story. Persistent brat.

* * *

"Okay, done," I said, finishing my story.

Marlee frowned at me, "You didn't tell me about the part where you left."

"What?" I snorted, "You want to hear about the plane ride?" I sincerely hoped she didn't. It involved more vomiting then I'd like to admit. Let's just say stewardess wasn't happy.

"_No_," she said, "I want to hear about _why_ you left. _What happened!_ Come on, don't be a spoil-sport."

Forcing me to recall my shitty past was sport? I didn't want to know what she did to other people when she wasn't just having fun. "Fine," I mumbled, resiting the urge to rub my temples like I had a stick up my butt.

* * *

_I was starting to – Well, let's just say I didn't know where I stood anymore. With the Brotherhood, I just got into trouble. And I don't fit in with the X-Geeks - _

"X-Geeks?" Marlee interrupted.

"The X-Men," I growled, "You wanna hear this or not?"

"Continue, sir," Marlee said, saluting.

Not sure if she was trying to be sarcastic or was just goofing around, I continued.

_As I was saying, I don't belong on the X-Men. Running around, trying to save people like I'm all that ain't my thing. Besides, they already made up their minds about me. _

_ By the time summer started, I was sick of the whole thing. I figured I'd save up money working before school started and get out of dodge._

"What made you think of that?" Marlee asked.

I shot her a glare, "I don't know. Pretty obvious, ain't it?"

_Anyway, I worked at some cafe for a -_

"What cafe?"

I ignored her.

_I also did some odd jobs like mowing lawns. I had just finished a morning shift at the cafe and was heading back to Brotherhood house when I caught sight of this old lady. She was pretty pathetic, trying to bend down to pull weed her flowers and crap. She was shaking like it was some big strain._

_ I paused, "What's your problem?"_

_"Oh, nothing, dear," she said, sounding like somebody's grandma on TV, "My arthritis, that's all."_

_ Like I said, she was unbearably pathetic. I rolled my eyes, "Move out of the way."_

_ "I'm sorry, dear?" she said as I shooed her out of the way. _

_ I spent the day picking weeds. Better than hanging out with the Brotherhood, at least._

"Aw, that's so sweet."

"Don't patronize me."

"I'm _not_."

_Well, old ladies are stubborn and she just had to have her garden weeded no matter what, so I spent a lot of time weeding with her watching me. Old ladies also talk a lot, so I got to know her more than I wanted to. _

_ "When you go back to school, I could start paying to continue picking the weeds," she said, when summer was coming to an end._

_ "I'm planning on getting out of here, by then."_

_ "Oh?" she said, "Where will you be going to school, then?"  
_

_ I snorted, "I ain't going. No point."_

_ I was focusing on pulling up a weed, but I'm pretty sure from her tone that she frowned, "Your parents aren't enrolling you?"_

_ "Look, they aren't around," I said, pointedly continuing to weed, " I couldn't get enrolled if I wanted to."_

_There was a long pause. I had hoped this meant she had dropped it. Of course not. "I'll buy your plane ticket if you let me enroll you in school," she said finally._

_ "_Right_. How do you expect to enroll me?"_

_ "You act like an old woman can't know I thing or two about forgery."_

* * *

**One Year Ago**

**Kitty's POV**

Summer was almost over, but the heat was persistent. I was walking home from the mall with Rogue (who I had dragged with me because Jean was busy and going to the mall alone is totally drab). Out of nowhere, something slammed into me and bowled me over.

"Toad!?" Rogue exclaimed. It smelled like rotting fish and a variety of other unpleasant things, "Will ya get your slimy behind off of her?"

I had to close my eyes, Toad goop was dripping onto my face. "Gross, Toad!" I growled, trying to push him off with my hands.

He was yanked up by Rogue. She may be gloomy, but she's brave. Touching Todd Tolansky? I don't know if I'll ever be able to make that up to her.

"Let go of me!" Todd said, squirming around in her grip. She held tightly onto the material of his costume.

"Ah ain't 'letting go of you,' puke-breath" Rogue said, "Why're you jumping Kitty?"

"Yeah, like, I'm never going to get your stench from my shirt," I said, still wiping Toad goop from my face.

"Cause that goody-goody whish-washed Lance's brain," Toad said, almost pouting at this point with his arms crossed.

"What?" I asked. Rogue raised a single eyebrow.

"You heard me," Toad said, "Lance don't belong with you X-Geeks."

"Yeah, I, like, kind of notice that with him being on the Brotherhood and all."

"You letting him go, then?"

"Look, puke-breath," Rogue said, raising Toad off the ground slightly to glare him down face-to-face, "We don't know what you're yammering about."

Toad tried to struggle away from Rogue, "You know. Lance went and joined up with you losers again."

Rogue turned to look me. I shrugged.

I bit my lip, "Today? We've been at the mall, like, all day." I couldn't see Lance joining the X-Men again, anyway. Especially not after the ordeal in the parking lot.

"Na-ah," Toad said, struggling to pull out a piece of paper that was stuck in his belt, "He left us this note like a week ago and disappeared." He frowned, "He really ain't with you? You ain't lying?"

"Why on Earth would we lie?" Rogue asked, "Ah could kick your pasty little butt."

"Alright, alright," Toad said, "Will you put me down already? I won't bug you no more."

"Ah doubt that," Rogue said, but let go of Toad, anyway.

"Can I see that note?" I asked, holding out my hand.

"Whatever. It don't say much." He shoved it at me and hopped away.

I stare at Blob's collection of Ds and Fs with confusion.

"Ah think it's on the other side, Kitty."

"Oh," I say, flipping it over. Reading the actual note doesn't abate my confusion.

* * *

**Lance's POV**

"I still think we should be superheroes," Marlee said, "It would be fun."

"Yeah, where would you start with that?" I said, in attempt to talk sense into her. Something that should never be tried on Marlee.

"Let's look for cats stuck in trees!" she said, dragging me down the street before I could protest

* * *

**AN: I know, nothing actually happened in the present time. Shame.**


End file.
